Catherine Bach | |
|---|---|
 Bach at the Chiller Theatre Expo in 2013 | |
| Born | Catherine Bachman (1954-03-01)March 1, 1954 (age 71)[1] Warren, Ohio, U.S.[1] |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Known for | Daisy Duke inThe Dukes of Hazzard |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Catherine Bach (bornCatherine Bachman; March 1, 1954)[1] is an American actress. She is known for playingDaisy Duke in the television seriesThe Dukes of Hazzard and Margo Dutton inAfrican Skies.[2] In 2012, she joined the cast of theCBSsoap operaThe Young and the Restless asAnita Lawson.[3]
Bach was born inWarren, Ohio,[1] the daughter of Norma Jean Kucera (née Verdugo), an acupuncturist, and Bernard P. Bachman, a rancher.[4] Her mother was a daughter of Antonio L. Verdugo, ofBisbee, Arizona, a baker born in Mexico,[5] while her father was of German ancestry. She was raised inWarren, Ohio.[6][7] Her mother, born into the Verdugo family,[8] claimed to be descended from one of oldestCalifornio families.[9]
She spent some of her childhood on a ranch inSouth Dakota,[10] when she visited her grandparents inFaith, South Dakota. In 1970, Bach graduated fromStevens High School inRapid City, South Dakota. She briefly majored in drama atUCLA, where she supplemented her income by making clothes for friends andtheater groups.[10]
Bach's professional debut was as one of the children in a production ofThe Sound of Music.[11] Bach's first screen appearance was in theBurt Lancaster murder mystery,The Midnight Man, shot in upstateSouth Carolina in 1973, in which she played murder victim Natalie Claiburn. Her next role was Melody in the 1974 filmThunderbolt and Lightfoot.
Bach heard about the audition forThe Dukes of Hazzard through her husband.[12] When she arrived there, she found the producers were looking for aDolly Parton-lookalike; despite not looking like what they were searching for, she was hired on the spot.[13] One of the earliest costume ideas from the producers was that she wear a tight whiteturtleneck,go-go boots and apoodle skirt, but Bach asked if she could bring her own outfit, which was a homemadeT-shirt, a pair of cut-offdenim shorts andhigh heels.[14] Bach had concerns about the appropriateness of the cut-off shorts at first, saying she could not wear them in a restaurant scene. When prompted by the producers to visit a restaurant across the street, Bach found the waitresses were wearing "little miniskirts that matched the tablecloths!"[12] This style of cut-off denim shorts is now popularly known as "Daisy Dukes" in reference to Bach'scharacter of that name from the show. She starred onThe Dukes of Hazzard oppositeTom Wopat,John Schneider andJames Best.
At the suggestion of the show's producers, Bach posed as Daisy Duke for a poster, which sold 5 million copies.[15] The poster once caused a stir whenNancy Reagan took a liking to it after Bach visited theWhite House with one as a gift for one of her former schoolteachers then working there.[16]
While she was starring onThe Dukes of Hazzard, her legs were insured for$1,000,000.[17] In 1985, she served as the model for the figurehead for the schoonerCalifornian.[9]
After the series ended, Bach had roles in a number of low-profile films. From 1992 to 1994, she starred in the Canadian family drama series,African Skies.[18] In 2006, she guest-starred onMonk, and in 2010 had a small cameo in the comedy filmYou Again. In 2012, Bach joined the cast of CBS daytime soap opera,The Young and the Restless in the recurring role ofAnita Lawson.[3]
In 2002, Bach launched a line of diamond jewelry atDebenhams.[10]
Bach married David Shaw (stepson ofAngela Lansbury)[11] in 1976; the couple divorced in 1981. Bach married entertainment lawyerPeter Lopez in August 1990. They had two daughters. On April 30, 2010, 60-year-old Lopez was found shot dead in an apparentsuicide.[19]
Bach is Catholic.[20]
On October 30, 2025, Bach'sDukes of Hazzard co-starBen Jones announced on social media that Bach was forced to cancel an appearance atCooter's Place as she had been hospitalized inLos Angeles due to anembolism that developed as a result of a recent surgery. Bach's otherDukes of Hazzard co-starsTom Wopat andJohn Schneider posted on social media offering their thoughts and prayers as she recovered.[21] Bach was released from the hospital a few days later and was spotted out walking her dog on November 5, 2025.[22]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Midnight Man | Natalie Clayborne | |
| Thunderbolt and Lightfoot | Melody | ||
| 1975 | Hustle | Peggy Summers | |
| 1978 | Crazed | Sue | |
| 1984 | Cannonball Run II | Marcie Thatcher | |
| 1987 | Street Justice | Tamarra | |
| 1989 | Criminal Act | Pam Weiss | |
| Driving Force | Harry | ||
| 1990 | Masters of Menace | Kitty Wheeler | |
| 1992 | The Nutt House | Benefit Reporter | |
| Rage and Honor | Captain Murdock | ||
| 2004 | Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real | Biologist | |
| 2010 | You Again | Daisy | |
| 2013 | Chapman | Mother | |
| 2015 | The Breakup Girl | Ellen | |
| Book of Fire | Bibiana |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Alice | Episode: "Matt Helm" |
| Strange New World | Lara | Television film | |
| 1977 | Murder in Peyton Place | Linda | Television film |
| 1977–1978 | Police Woman | Episodes: "Screams" and "A Shadow on the Sea" | |
| 1979–1985 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Daisy Duke | Series regular, 145 episodes |
| 1980-1983 | The Love Boat | Pamela Hodgekins / Pat Bigelow | Episodes: "No Girls for Doc/Marriage of Convenience/The Caller/The Witness" and "Going to the Dogs/Putting on the Dog/Women's Best Friend/Whose Dog Is It Anyway" |
| 1980 | Enos | Daisy Duke | Episode 1: "Enos" |
| 1981 | Episode 8: "One Daisy Per Summer" | ||
| 1983 | White Water Rebels | Trisha Parker | Television film |
| The Dukes | Daisy Duke | Voice, 20 episodes | |
| 1992–1994 | African Skies | Margo Dutton | Series regular, 52 episodes |
| 1995 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast | Herself | Episode: "Urges" |
| 1997 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! | Daisy Duke | Television film |
| 2000 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood | ||
| 2006 | Monk | Sara Jo | Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad" |
| 2012-2019 | The Young and the Restless | Anita Lawson | Recurring role |
| 2014 | Almost Royal | Herself | Episode: "Nashville" |
| 2015 | Hawaii Five-0 | Amy Harlan | Episode: "Luapo'i" |
| 2016 | My Best Friend | Pearl | Television film |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
